How Do We Ask About One Thing?

When you want to ask if one specific item exists in a place, use Is there…?

• Мы используем Is there + a/an + singular noun + place?

Remember to use a before words that start with a consonant sound (like ‘book’) and an before words that start with a vowel sound (like ‘apple’).

How Do We Ask About More Than One Thing?

When you want to ask if many items exist in a place, use Are there…?

• Мы используем Are there + plural noun + place?

For plural questions, we often use any before the plural noun, especially when we don’t know the exact number.

How Do We Give Short Answers?

After asking a question with Is there…? или Are there…?, you can give a short, simple answer.

• For one thing (singular):
  Yes, there is.
  No, there isn’t.
• For many things (plural):
  Yes, there are.
  No, there aren’t.

These short answers are common in everyday conversation.

When Do We Use ‘a’, ‘an’, or ‘any’?

These small words are important when you ask questions about existence.

• Использование a или an with singular nouns in questions:
  Is there a park near here?
  Is there an airport in your city?
• Использование any with plural nouns in questions and negative answers:
  Are there any books on the shelf?
  No, there aren’t any books.

We usually do not use any with singular nouns in questions.

Примеры

• Is there a supermarket near your house?
• Yes, there is. It’s very close.
• Is there an elevator in this building?
• No, there isn’t. You have to use the stairs.
• Are there any restaurants open late?
• Yes, there are. Two restaurants are open until midnight.
• Are there children playing in the garden?
• No, there aren’t. The garden is empty.
• Is there a problem?
• No, there isn’t a problem. Everything is fine.

Практика

Распространенные ошибки у носителей испанского языка

Spanish speakers often use ‘Hay’ for both questions and statements, and for singular and plural. In English, we must be careful:

• Mistake: Использование There is a book? (Incorrect word order for a question)
  Правильно: Is there a book? (We invert ‘there’ and ‘is’ for questions.)
• Mistake: Использование Are chairs in the room? (Missing ‘there’)
  Правильно: Are there chairs in the room? (Always include ‘there’ when asking about existence.)
• Mistake: Forgetting ‘a’ or ‘an’ with singular nouns:
  Is there car outside? (Incorrect)
  Правильно: Is there a car outside?
• Mistake: Not using ‘any’ with plural questions or negative answers:
  Are there books on the table? (Okay, but any is more natural)
  No, there aren’t books. (Incorrect)
  Правильно: Are there any books on the table?
  Правильно: No, there aren’t any books.

Часто задаваемые вопросы

What is the main difference between ‘Is there…?’ and ‘Are there…?’

The main difference is about quantity. We use Is there…? to ask about one thing (singular noun). We use Are there…? to ask about more than one thing (plural noun).

Why do we use ‘a’ or ‘an’ with ‘Is there…?’

Мы используем a или an with Is there…? because we are asking about one specific, but not identified, item. For example, Is there a pen? means ‘one pen’.

Can I use ‘any’ with ‘Is there…?’

No, we do not usually use any with Is there…? because any is for plural or uncountable nouns in questions and negative sentences. For singular countable nouns, use a или an.

How do I answer ‘Is there…?’ or ‘Are there…?’ questions?

For Is there…?, answer Yes, there is. или No, there isn’t. For Are there…?, answer Yes, there are. или No, there aren’t.